


Another Man's Treasure

by AppleJ



Category: X-Men (Comicverse), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Heist, Mystery, One Shot, Rogue/Gambit Week 2020, X-Men References
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-03
Updated: 2020-02-03
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:21:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22275538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AppleJ/pseuds/AppleJ
Summary: One shot story for Rogue and Gambit Fan Works Week 2020Themes: "What does Gambit keep in his pockets?" & "What happened in the time gap between the end of Mr. & Mrs. X and Excalibur."Rated PG13/Teen for: some strong language, mild violence, & a decent amount of innuendo
Relationships: Remy LeBeau/Rogue, Remy Lebeau & Rogue
Comments: 4
Kudos: 33





	Another Man's Treasure

**Another Man's Treasure**

"Got another deck of cards here, sir." the young man noted, adding a fresh pack of red Bicycles to the already teetering stack. He continued pawing through yet another hidden pocket of the worn brown duster. "How many is that now? … Jesus. What is he? A freaking magician or what?"

"Quit screwin' around, Wats. I know he took _somethin_ ' and it's gotta be in there somewhere. Sure ta have a weapon on him too. His kind always does." the grisly older man called Meyer growled, still holding his shiny glock on their bound captive. "May as well tell us, mutie. We'll find it sooner or later."

The dark-eyed gentleman dressed all in black lounged back in his seat, giving them a languid grin as if he were relaxing on a beach somewhere rather than held captive in a stuffy office. "Seems like a lotta security for an _EX_ -military officer." he observed nonchalantly. "Ever wonder what dat boss of yours gets up to? … Guess you boys are jus' glad ta have a job. An' some excitement, neh?"

The older man offered him a deepening scowl and pointed the gun a little closer to his stubbled cheek. "Awfully smug for a mutie in a collar an' cuffs. Just wait 'til General Grehty gets here. He'll make ya talk. He knows how ta deal with your kind."

Remy LeBeau, better known as Gambit, shrugged and maintained a look of amused skepticism while the younger security guard continued laying out the contents of his trench coat over the General's opulent cherry wood desk.

"Ewww … What the hell is _this_?" Young Wats exclaimed, holding out a shrink-wrapped hunk of mystery meat and giving it a cautious sniff.

"Bacon jerky. Hmmm, looks like you found de candied Siracha. Good choice. Dere's a pretty good Cajun spice one in there too. Mebbe in the top pocket?" Remy suggested as the two guards gawked at him like he had two heads.

"How many pockets does this stupid thing even have?" Wats whined in exasperation. "I've been at this for almost an hour ... and all we got is a shit ton of junk!"

"What did you steal, mutie? We know you took _something_!" the short-tempered old man exploded impatiently, pistol whipping Remy upside the jaw for good measure. "Talk!"

Gambit's head recoiled momentarily and then bobbed back in place, lip bloodied and his overlong bangs falling over the strange eyes that flickered with a crimson glint. But he slid back into a cool veneer again, licking the blood off his lip, and serenely replying. "Mon freres, I _been_ talkin'. Mebbe you jus' not listenin'?"

"Another pocket …" Wats grumbled, clearly ignoring the disruption, as he continued pulling out more items. "More of that nasty jerky … dice … box of cigarettes … uhhh, is this a cat toy? What the fuck?" He threw the little pink felt mouse down and continued," … more pocket change … business card for some bakery … ughh gross, are these rubbers?" Eyeing the label he noted with sarcastic disgust, " _Really_?"

"Jealousy don' look good on anyone, mon ami. ‘Sides, gotta practice what I preach, neh?" Remy winked at Wats who frowned and turned back to Meyer.

"I think that's everything, sir." he proclaimed with exhaustion, tossing the coat aside. "So besides that last bit, we got thirteen packs of playing cards, fifty-two dollars and forty-one cents, some kind of … I want to say _alien? ... c_ urrency with this weird bird lady on it, … poker chips, gum, lock picks, throwing spikes, grappling set, sunglasses, this red handkerchief, phone, about twenty house keys, photo of some skunk headed girl, these kiddie books, pocket watch, green ski cap, and that metal cylinder."

"Go through it all again! It's got to be here. Hurry up! The General is on his way. We gotta give him _something_." Meyer barked, gesturing rather erratically with the pistol.

Gambit's eyes followed the gun's path attentively, then flicked over to the cuckoo clock on the wall.

"Why don't YOU look?! I've already went through all this crap. No weapons. Nothing suspicious. Who keeps this much _junk_ in their coat? He's just a two-bit thief who we caught red-handed. … probably a street bum." Wats grumbled.

"He's a mutant and he's up to something. How do you think he got in here?! Open stuff up! Look in that cylinder thing, damn it! …. That's an order!" Meyer barked, when Wats didn't seem like he would budge.

Wats frowned, but picked up the small metalic cylinder and turned, twisted, pried, pressed, smashed, and clawed at the ends, "Stupid thing doesn't even open!" he protested.

Remy chuckled to himself.

"What's so funny, mutie? Need me to smash your face in again?" Meyer threatened.

"Do whatever makes you feel in control here, boss man. But your couyon friend ain't never gonna open dat. It's keyed to _my_ DNA."

"Oh really?" Meyer snorted, lowering his glock into the holster and snatching the cylinder from Wats.

"Why would he tell you that if there's anything good in there?" Wats pointed out. "It's a trick!"

"Shuddup and cover me." Meyer grumbled at his partner

Wats scrambled to pull his gun on Remy, as Meyer bent forward to press the cylinder hard against Remy's bruised cheek, warning, "No funny business, mutie."

But as he spoke, the cylinder burst open in opposite directions. It extended into a long staff with such suddenness and force that Meyer was punched in the chest and thrown back. Wats panicked, firing a shot that narrowly missed Remy's head, as he ducked and it lodged itself in the wall instead.

Panting and groaning, Meyer got back up pointing at the stick on the ground. "See?! See, you idiot?! A weapon! He _knew_ that would happen." He glowered at Remy seething out, "If the boss didn't want you alive I swear -"

Remy smirked, "Tol' ya how to open it. You didn't ask what it was. See? Got nothin' ta hide, me. Not sure your boss man can say de same."

"This is pointless." Wats complained. "Let's just wait for the General. He'll be here any minute now."

" _Fine_." Meyer backed off and surveyed the items on the desk again. He picked up a box of playing cards and dumped it, letting the contents cascade out over the floor. Then he held up each of the paperbacks one-by-one, thumbing through them for loose papers or hidden notes.

"Deathly Hallows? I still never saw that." Wats noted, purveying the titles of the worn volumes. "What's " _The Little Prince_ "? Sounds fruity to me."

Remy frowned at him, but Meyer was moving on and opened the cigarette box, dumping it out next.

A golden lighter engraved with black palm trees thumped onto the desk along with a single cigarette. Meyer held up the lighter, reading the inscription, " _Mermaid Bar and Grille, Valle Soleada_?"

"Saving dat last one for somethin' special. Or an emergency. ... How 'bout we keep dat jus' between us though?" Remy noted, licking more blood off his lip.

"Who would even care? This girl in the picture maybe?" Meyer sneered. "What will it matter if you're dead?" He gave a mirthless laugh, picking up the business card from the pile to survey it next.

"Sugar Muffins, finest cupcakes in Brooklyn, huh? Who's this Fence guy? Boyfriend of yours? Business partner, maybe?" Meyer asked shrewdly. "Maybe we pay him a visit and ask HIM the questions? Or maybe this woman here? Something tells me you'll be a little more forthcoming if we find the right leverage. Bet we find a number in that phone."

Remy was looking less amused by the moment, when the sound of a car door outside made all their heads swivel.

Meyer walked to the window looking down upon the street below. "Finally! Looks like your time's up, mutie."

The guards straightened their ties and buttoned their jackets, ignoring the bleeding thief for a moment to get their story pulled together.

"So what do we tell the boss, then?" Wats suddenly seemed anxious.

Meyer peered around the room. "Hmmm. Tell him we … uhhh … we found THIS on him." he said, pulling open the desk drawer and grabbing a random flash drive.

"You even know what that is, old man?" Wats snorted.

"Shuddup". Meyer grumbled, setting it back down.

Remy rolled his eyes and shook his head, cursing under his breath, " _Merde, the hapless rubes I endure_."

"He's gonna be pissed that this mutie got up in here in the first place under our watch." Wats started to say, when the door burst open violently.

But before either man could even turn around to fully comprehend the source of the commotion, Gambit exploded up out of the chair with a swift kick to Meyer's face and an elbow to the back of Wats head, having bolted from his restraints some time ago. The two men were out cold instantly and Remy stood there rubbing his jaw as Rogue flew into the room.

"Told you Ah didn't like this plan, sugah." she chastened as she walked up and tenderly ran her gloved fingers over his swollen lip and puffy cheek.

He winced slightly, "Not my favorite either, chère. But it worked, eh? Knew there was no way dese morons were in the know. Figured Grehty would get flushed out comin' ta take care of t'ings hisself. You get what we came for?"

Rogue tapped her temple with a devious grin, "You doubted me, Cajun?"

"Not on my life, mon coeur." he smiled back.

She walked past him, clad in her emerald green hooded uniform, and fingered the bullet hole in the wall above where Gambit had been sitting. "Looks like it almost was." she observed with some disquiet.

"He see you?"

"No." she answered, "Didn't know what hit him."

Rogue handed Remy a dark gray bowler hat, turning it over to show him. "Jean was right though. He was protectin' his mind with this. See the lining?"

"Mmmm, indeed. Jus' like ol' buckethead's helmet." Gambit noted, studying it with interest.

" _Remy_." she quirked a smile she was trying to suppress as she scolded him half-heartedly. "We're supposed ta be civil. All on th' same team, remember?"

"If you say so, Anna. Still not so sure we should be trustin' Charlie on dis one. But I suppose ya right on one t'ing … better th' devil we know, eh?" he murmured, as he nabbed a lock pick out of the collection on the desk and went to work removing his suppression collar.

"After what Ah just saw in that sucker's mind, Ah think Xavier might have some good reasons for all he's doin'. Besides … Jean trusts him … an' Ororo … Logan too for that matter. An' that's sayin' somethin'." she frowned with perplexion, sighing, and tilted her head back to him.

Gambit raised an eyebrow, smirking devilishly at her while he continued working at the collar, "Logan STILL don' trust _me,_ chère."

"Ah know. Smart man." she teased, coming over to join him by the desk again. "What the hell's all this mess? Part of your grand distraction plan?"

Rogue bent down, scooping up a handful of the spilt cards and turned the Queen of Hearts over in her palm a thoughtful moment.

Gambit unlatched the collar at last with a satisfying click and set it aside, rolling his neck and shoulders to stretch them out. "Ahhh … _dat_ … goin' through my pockets lookin' for what I stole."

Rogue laughed outright. "And what would that even be? Ah already know from Grehty’s memories that there isn't anything useful ta us or even real valuable in this entire house."

"Well, dey didn't know dat, yeah?" Gambit grinned as he swung his duster back over his shoulders and discreetly began refilling his pockets. "Kept them plenty busy."

But Rogue wasn't so easily swindled. She snapped up the box just as he reached for it and held it just out of his reach.

"Now what have we here Remy Etienne LeBeau?" she scolded him mockingly. "Thought you said you quit?"

"Of course I did, ma belle. Those prolly belong to dese jokers." Remy assuaged her, gesturing to the men still passed out on the floor.

"Mmmm, ya think so, huh?" she raised an eyebrow, tossing him the lighter. "... Gotcha."

"Pfffh, ok den … _Fine_. Jus' one I been holdin' on to, chère. For luck." he reasoned smoothly, moving in closer to her with an appeasing smile. "We all have our faults, right?"

"Well," she said, pressing up flirtatiously against him and grabbing one of the condoms off the pile to dangle in his face. "You wanna get to work on that _OTHER_ plan of yours," she said tossing it in the trash pointedly, "you better be good and _sure_ you're done with those cancer sticks."

Remy wound his arms tigher around her waist, pulling her in even closer until her breath was on his face, "Been thinkin' 'bout that have you? Mebbe we better get some practice in."

Rogue leaned in to ever-so-carefully press her lips against his battered and bleeding ones, then murmured, "Think we better get the hell outta here and let Hank patch you up first."

Remy rested his forehead against hers and let his hands drift down to her hips, "I'm fine. B'sides, I prefer _your_ bedside manner. Lot less fur."

Rogue snickered, mocking in her playful, honeyed tone, “Cajun, don't tell me you just sat there and LET them clobber you so we could play doctor."

"My wife, the comedian." he groused lightly, still pressing close.

Meyer groaned from the floor just then.

"Guess we better scoot." Rogue sighed. "Why don't you load up the rest of your crap and let's make a break for it before tweedle dee and tweedle dumb wake up. … but leave that stinky jerky."

A laugh rumbled in Gambit's throat, "Can't, chère. It's evidence."

She scoffed and went over to the window as he quickly gathered the rest of his belongings.

"Remind me ta call Fence later. Tell him to lay low awhile." Remy remarked, then inquired, "So ... what'd you get off Grehty then?"

"Seems he's been assistin’ on some secret project for S.T.R.I.K.E. … ORCHIS somethin'?" she frowned.

Remy's brow furrowed as he climbed up to join her on the sill.

Then, arm in arm, they disappeared into the night - A head full of knowledge and pockets full of treasure.


End file.
